Out of what crypt they crawl, I cannot tell,
But every night I see the rubbery things,
Black, horned, and slender, with membranous wings,
They come in legions on the north wind’s swell
With obscene clutch that titillates and stings,
Snatching me off on monstrous voyagings
To grey worlds hidden deep in nightmare’s well.

Over the jagged peaks of Thok they sweep, Heedless of all the cries I try to make, And down the nether pits to that foul lake Where the puffed shoggoths splash in doubtful sleep. But ho! If only they would make some sound, Or wear a face where faces should be found!

-H.P. Lovecraft “Night-Gaunts”

So, despite the fact that I actually did get some real work done today (a whole page on the forthcoming “Thunderhead” webcomic for Otus Analytics, as well as some preliminary sketches on a project for the band Wings of Apollo), I was still inspired to do a Sketchaday!

Recently I have started reading the Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H. P. Lovecraft (Commemorative Edition), a collection of thirty-six of Lovercraft’s short stories. I have been interspersing them with other reading so that I don’t get worn out. Anyhow, the very first is actually the Night-Gaunts poem you read above. Apparently, young H.P. suffered from night terrors as a child, and thought that these Night Gaunts were after him.

Well, I thought what better way to negate fear than to turn the source into something cute. Well… as cute as a night gaunt can be. Am I right?!?

As per the Sketchaday rules, drawn in 20 minutes or less. Ink and grey marker.